Posts Tagged ‘ Lawn Sprinklers ’

By Bill Bergfeld

The key to a lush, healthy spring lawn is proper nutritional care during the winter months.  The object of winterization is to prime the soil and the grass root system so that when warmer spring weather arrives, your lawn will emerge lush and green.  Because grass goes dormant during the winter, preparation for a healthy spring can best be made in the fall.  In southeast Texas, preparation in December can be just as effective as a treatment in September, October or November.  Remember, your entire lawn care objective in the fall and winter months is to ensure that the grass has a good, healthy root system going into the fall and winter.

Winter fertilization has one and only one purpose – build the root system of your lawn.  The best winter fertilizer should be potassium rich.  If you are unfamiliar with the NPK numbers used to identify types of fertilizers, then here’s the scoop.  The first number or the “N” represents nitrogen levels.  Nitrogen is the key element in above ground plant growth.   The middle number or the “P” stands for potassium, and this element is vital in below ground or root development.  The final number or “K” in the ratio signifies the potash level.  Potash is responsible for the fruit development of the plant.  Those geographical regions that experience severe winter temperatures are best suited for August or September winterization.  This fertilization time table prevents late season above ground plant growth that could leave the lawn susceptible to unnecessary frost damage.  In the Texas Gulf Coast area, winterization is best accomplished in November and December as the severe winter temperatures most often occur in January and February.

The ingredient most people ignore when winterizing their lawn is hydration.  After applying your fertilizer, water is necessary in order to dissolve the nutrients and make them available to the plant.  Rain would of course be the most effective source, but lawn sprinkler systems are just as effective.  A single watering is good, but multiple waterings at timed intervals is best.